Half of SA likes Constitution - survey

Johannesburg - Close to half the South African population does not want the country's Constitution changed, a study has shown.

"Almost 46% of South Africans believe that our Constitution is the basic law of the land and should not be changed," research company Ipsos said in a statement on Monday.

Spokesperson Mari Harris said recent calls for changes to Section 25 of the Constitution, which deals with land expropriation and compensation, had sparked much debate.

Sixteen percent of the 3 565 people surveyed believed the Constitution could be changed, while almost 28% remained neutral on the subject. Ten percent did not know.

The poll was conducted between April and May this year.

There were mixed views on the effect changes to the Constitution would have. At least 41% believed changing it would limit the freedom of South Africans.

Broken down along political party lines, the figure among Democratic Alliance supporters was 46%, with 42% of ANC supporters holding this view.

Overall, 33% of people questioned felt the Constitution in its present form was slowing transformation.

"This view that the Constitution is hampering transformation is likely influenced by numerous requests to change some aspects of it by the ANCYL and Numsa, as well as significant writing on the subject in the SA media over the past year," Harris said.

Comments

carl.debeer.33 - 2012-07-02 22:02

Close to half the population does not know what constitution means or what it is!~!

downwiththeANC - 2012-07-02 22:18

yeah....the ANC does not want to educate the masses...especially teach them the word "constitution" Better to not give them any textbooks, rather give them free Zuma shirts and KFC. That keeps them happy

jmlongwe - 2012-07-02 22:24

@downwiththeanc enough with your obsession with the ANC, we know they are bad, but hearing about them on every general article is as boring as any new comic material from malema, move on dude, theres light at the end of the tunnel. Im sure when you typing 'and' your computer goes 'did you mean ANC?'

smili.fication - 2012-07-03 06:21

Mangz I found that funny... But if you are tired of it why do you even still read it. STFU

gordon.trevat - 2012-07-03 07:23

Very misleading subject. What were the questions used? Some people would want it changed, but changed to stop corruption as opposed to anything else.

grant.hide - 2012-07-03 08:49

Let alone what this transformation will bring.

nrgx.nrg - 2012-07-03 09:52

half the population likes the constitution, the other half cant spell it!

Partiboy - 2012-07-02 22:03

Our constitution is one of the best in the world, but the government who is there to run our country should be amended quite significantly!

logical007 - 2012-07-02 22:08

Of a population of 50 million and the survey was done of 3565 people? I believe nothing of the above article is valid!!!

emile.vanrayner.7 - 2012-07-02 22:44

not strictly valid, but it does give you some insight. it is also not clear what motivated the survey initially. these could just be some numbers intended to win a few more friends? idk... news24 can sometimes really suck at their job

stfaith.esau - 2012-07-02 22:49

I agree. Have not participted in this survey thus cannot be proven that I do not like the constitution!

cliff.slabbert - 2012-07-02 22:53

logical007,
It is called demographic sampling. It should be an unbiased and reasonable estimate done by professionals....but who knows any more?

Johan - 2012-07-03 08:01

It is a representation of the population, 80% uneducated and the rest from Sandton.

dave.abner.56 - 2012-07-02 22:25

I'm looking for news24 story about the 2 airplanes but alas, so here goes... WTF is the ANC thinking buying 2 planes for 2 people for 2.2 billion rand? Now there is a very valid reason for public servants to strike...

Tommo - 2012-07-03 00:09

Are you on the right page Dave the brave?. This is about the constitution

Tommo - 2012-07-03 00:08

We got the best constitution in the world! A luv ma constitusjon. Leave it like it is. Great men and women wrote it after all.

fred.warren.986 - 2012-07-03 00:09

Democracy can never work in a country where the electorate has an average IQ below 70. That is why they are so easily duped into voting for the ANC.

lerato.kay.3 - 2012-07-03 04:47

If its working in the US then definately can work in SA because talking about IQ levels America is in need. And anyway democracy has nothing to do IQ its all about inclusiveness, everyone and anyone got a say. And if most ANC voters are dumb as you suggest, why can't other political parties also dupe them? Think about that!

antin.herinck - 2012-07-03 01:56

46% likes it, but only a fraction thereof read it and even the President of SA does not understand it.
Three cheers for semi-literacy.

lerato.kay.3 - 2012-07-03 04:08

Stop these surveys and let's have a referendum and you will see. Since we cherish democracy I'm sure its only fair to have a vote, I predict a complete opposite result to what the survey suggest. What's this thing of putting DA and ANC in every argument, there is more to life than these parties! Some of us we are not party disciples but policy followers!

jones.mkandawire - 2012-07-03 06:59

Who is fooling who here? How on earth would 3655 people be half SAs population? Stop this nonsense pliz

Brad.Kopping - 2012-07-03 07:21

I didn't know that 3 565 people was the close to nearly the entire population of South Africa. WHO DOES THESE SURVEYS??//

Sheralee - 2012-07-03 07:41

You get lies, damned lies and then .... statistics. I, however, do like this survey. . .

Johan - 2012-07-03 07:59

The other half are ANC supporters..... You might just loose out.

badballie - 2012-07-03 08:14

now try redoing the survey, this time make sure the people you ask understand what "constitution" means. But yes the constitution is fine, it doesn't needs to be tampered with and most definitely not by the criminals in government.

gert.grobler.94 - 2012-07-03 08:48

Something is wrong with the constitution if it allows cadre with criminal records to serve in government or parliament.